engine stab question
 

Ok, we have prepped the bay for the new motor on the SPF. I got the tranny and motor mounted together and thought, well, let's look at the hoist situation and the best way to approach. Well crap! I don't think I can stick the tranny and engine at the same time like I wanted to. When approaching from the front, the hoist does not have enought stick to get it far enough into the engine compartment without hitting the front body. When coming in from the sides, I will have to take a front wheel off so that screws that up as I will be unable to move the engine front to back and the car will be on blocks so I cannot move the car front to back either. So that is out. I think I am gonna have to mount the tranny in loosely and then drop the engine in approaching from the side and then try and mate them in the car. (took it out this way) Any other suggestions before I hose myself all up? I am a little apprehensive about getting them to align. They are aligned and together now, so maybe it will not be that bad. Should I separate at the bellhousing to engine or the bell housing to tranny joint (that is how we got it appart). Any experience is very valuable to me at this point. I am trying to take my time, but I do want to be up and running by Midamerica in Tulsa....



Thanks
Buzz

I put mine in with engine and trans together and your right, getting the last few inches of the lift to reach was not pleasant. I would set the engine down in the bay on boards and reposition the engine attachment to the hoist. That made the angle pretty steep but I had a couple of helpers to lift the rear and with some intense "manuvering" it did fit.

My trans is SO hard to "stab" I felt I had little choice but to drop the whole combination in. When the dust had cleared, yeah I was happy I did it that way, would do it again. BUT once is enough for me thanks!

If the tranny would "slip right in", maybe I would have done only the engine. But with nothing to support the engine at the back without the trans, what do you do then?

On the ERA the trans tunnel cover comes out of the way completely. On the SPF???

On the trans tunnel with a SPF...I am told, the only way to get the trans out is taking the engine out or CUTTING a hole in the floor board of the car. That came from a SPF dealer. So as far as I can tell/know...there is no trans tunnel that is removable.

The trans tunnel is not removable as far as I know but trans can be installed/removed separately. Several SPF cars have had clutches replaced without removing the engine. It's definitely not easy but once the engine is in with the bellhousing attached to it you lift the rear of the trans and stab it backward first and then lift the front of the trans to get the input shaft in the bellhousing. It takes some wiggling and jiggling but it works. Even with a 460 in there.

I don't know if there were changes but on car #298 the tunnel is removable and the trans can but lifted out that way.
I've had my moder out a million times with the trans in the car. It would be nice to have them mated beforehand but it would require the car being high enough off the ground for the assembly to go in at an angle and steer up into the tunnel. Since many engine hoists are barely long enough to reach from the front of the car, I didn't want to complicate things. A Cobra has a long distance between the front of the car and where the engine sits. For aligning them mount a floor jack under the front of the trans, you can then raise and lower it easily. measure the angle of the trans before you start. A protractor level is nice but if you don't have one use a regular level and cut a cardboard wedge or something to be able to hold against the engine with the level as it moves into place to set its angle. For fine tuning the engine angle you can wrap a nylon strap with ratchet clamp arount the engine pulleys and the hoist beam, if you have a lift plate where the carb goes it probably leaves it conveniently front heavy.
Once you've set the engine in, take a break before you mate them fully, it's easy to be in a brute force frame of mind by this point but you want to gentle and methodical for the final mating.
With the spark plugs out you can turn the engine until the trans splines slip into the clutch.

Ok, I am on record with the luckiest damn stab in history....twice. I put the trans in first loosely and then did the engine and it mated right up. Then we looked over and saw the exhaust manifolds sitting on the floor... Then we took it out and then put the manifolds in and then shot the second stab easier than the first. Went right in. thanks for all the advice. Now that the mounts and trans are all buckled up as well as drive shaft, I neet to start putting the goodies back on it. I wish I remember how the millions of alternator wires went %/ %/ %/ %/ :confused:

We do have our work cut out on the wiring. I changed the ignition from Mallory to MSD and have completely different connections. Any advice.

On alternators, what are you guys running?

Buzz